In Celebration of (Disney) Food! 4/29 Monorail Dinner Pt. 2 (Kona)

[wilma-bride]

Loving the reviews so far. Yachtsman is the one place at Disney that I say I'm going to visit every trip - and have never managed to get there yet.

Although we probably won't have time to visit on our November trip, it is firmly at the top of the list for my DD's 21st birthday dinner in March.

The pork sandwich at Captain Cook's looks delicious - and HUGE!

Looking forward to reading more.

 

[MrsB1228]

That pulled pork sandwich looks awesome! We're big fans of Capt. Cook's, I had the adult grilled cheese and DH had the Hawaiian flatbread on our last visit and both were delicious.

Thanks for another great review and wonderful pictures!

 

[autumnpalm]

Subbing in. Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous, you certainly have a talent for it.

Great report so far. Tutto gusto is on my must try list but with a little one in tow now will likely be a while before we can try it. Bar seating with wine and small plates is my idea of heaven.

Squash blossoms are one of my favorite foods but since they are so seasonal often hard to find. Glad to see the world is continuing to focus on fresh, seasonal food.

Thanks so much for subbing in!

The pictures are actually from my DF's DSLR that he got just before the trip. He took most of the food photos but he hasn't actually had a class yet! He is starting this week and really looking forward to it!

Love the reviews!!!!

Thank you so much!

I love that pork sandwich at Capt Cookes it's a must have for me! Yes it's huge lol.

I swear it doubled in size! I'm so glad I stopped to get it though, I think it'll be a must-have for me on all our future trips. I wish I could get something similar here at home but all we have is regular BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. I might have to try making my own!

Loving the reviews so far. Yachtsman is the one place at Disney that I say I'm going to visit every trip - and have never managed to get there yet.

Although we probably won't have time to visit on our November trip, it is firmly at the top of the list for my DD's 21st birthday dinner in March.

The pork sandwich at Captain Cook's looks delicious - and HUGE!

Looking forward to reading more.

Thank you so much for joining in and commenting! I think the Yachtsman would be a great place for a birthday dinner. It really is the most relaxed I've felt at a signature restaurant.

And yes, the sandwich is even bigger than it looks!

That pulled pork sandwich looks awesome! We're big fans of Capt. Cook's, I had the adult grilled cheese and DH had the Hawaiian flatbread on our last visit and both were delicious.

Thanks for another great review and wonderful pictures!

Oooh I tried to get DF to order the adult grilled cheese but he was firmly committed to his burger. It sounds so good! Thanks for your lovely comments.

 

[disneymom1229]

Subbing...

Love your reviews!!! Looking forward to reading more...

I will be going solo in a couple weeks and plan to eat at Capt Cooks. After reading your review, I am looking forward to it even more!!

Keep the reviews coming!!!

 

[RGirl]

It was a great hideaway from the rain and so quiet and relaxing!

I had gone back and forth so many times between Flying Fish, Shula's and the Yachtsman but ended up happy with our decision. There are just so many wonderful dining options in the Epcot resort area!

You are so right - I guess that's yet another thing I love about the Epcot resorts! We did Flying Fish this trip too and Kouzzina last trip. Would love to try Shula's one day!

Loved the Captain Cook's review. The thing that really stuck out to me was how fresh and crunchy the cucumbers on your sandwich looked. I know that sounds totally insane, but I am really impressed by that - it means something to see such fresh ingredients. And the steamed veggies look perfect too!

 

[autumnpalm]

Subbing...

Love your reviews!!! Looking forward to reading more...

I will be going solo in a couple weeks and plan to eat at Capt Cooks. After reading your review, I am looking forward to it even more!!

Keep the reviews coming!!!

Have a WONDERFUL time on your trip, I wish I had another one coming up soon but unfortunately we don't have any on the horizon. I hope you have a great trip and I have the next review coming right up!

You are so right - I guess that's yet another thing I love about the Epcot resorts! We did Flying Fish this trip too and Kouzzina last trip. Would love to try Shula's one day!

Loved the Captain Cook's review. The thing that really stuck out to me was how fresh and crunchy the cucumbers on your sandwich looked. I know that sounds totally insane, but I am really impressed by that - it means something to see such fresh ingredients. And the steamed veggies look perfect too!

Yes! They were so fresh and crunchy, that impressed me too! Usually I would expect limp veggies at a fast food place but these were really awesome. Big thumbs up from me!

 

[autumnpalm]

Cape May Café (Dinner Buffet)



This dinner was another deviation from our plans. We initially had reservations at Flying Fish Café, but after one very lazy afternoon at Stormalong Bay, we again decided to stay even closer to home. We had walked through the Beach Club lobby the previous evening and Cape May Café just smelled SO good to me that I used the My Disney Experience app to snag a reservation.

I have read a lot of questions online about whether CMC and the CMC area in the Beach Club lobby smells like seafood and to my seafood-loving nose it definitely did. We had an early reservation and were seated almost immediately.

I loved the orchids along the windowsill just outside the restaurant!



One small touch I loved as soon as we were seated is that the tables are covered with paper and diners are given crayons. DF and I ended up having so much fun covering our table with doodles and drawings. Our waiter came by to take our drink orders (an iced tea for me and a Diet Coke for DF) and explained the buffet set-up to us.

Unlike many other Disney buffets, the buffet at the Cape May Café is a square and each of the four sides has unique items. So if you visit, make sure you go all the way around! He also pointed out where to get the drawn butter, the crab slicers/openers and the buckets for our shells.



I tried to take as many buffet pictures as possible but the restaurant was starting to fill up and I didnt want to get in the way! I did manage to get a majority of the items and it seems like the items tend to change quite often anyways, so hopefully these will just give you a feel for what you might find at CMC. Sorry, the lighting in a lot of these is kind of wonky!

Assorted breads





Crab legs!



Clams



Roasted potatoes and corn on the cob



Mussels



Baked Beans

Carving Station (I believe this was roast beef?)



Kids Cod Nuggets


Kids Baked Chicken



Kids Mac and Cheese



Mashed Potatoes and Seafood Paella



House Salad (this was beside a vegetable soup and seafood chowder that I didnt get photos of)



Cesar Salad


Assorted Potato, Bean and Seafood Salads



Olives, Beets and Fruit Salad



Cheeses



Dessert Selections



There were a number of other items such as steamed veggies, mediterranean pasta, baked beans, chicken cacciatore, etc. that I either did not get photos of or the photos did not turn out. I apologize for the missing items but I hope you can still get an idea of what the offerings are like and what sort of options are available!

Okay, so here we go. Confession time.

Out of all those selection, each of my three plates consisted of basically three items. Crab legs, fried shrimp and kids macaroni and cheese. I had one sampler plate where I tried a bit of everything, crab legs are one of my favourite foods so I ate about three grown mens servings of crab legs along with a tremendous amount of fried shrimp and macaroni and cheese. Everything on the buffet that I tried was quite good, but I absolutely loved those three items so I figured- Im in Disney! Why not? I did have some vegetables and a cob of corn which were decent, but not as good as my three favourites so I left lots of stomach room for my crab, shrimp and mac and cheese.

Usually I try to eat a balanced (ish) diet, but I pretty much just down three plates that looked exactly like this.



DF tried a much larger variety of foods and seemed to like most things. He also loved the fried shrimp (they were so delicious, the best fried shrimp Ive ever had) but also really enjoyed the carved beef, the mussels and the oysters. He had two bowls of the seafood chowder as well. He has a bigger stomach, so he had a larger capacity to try some more variety while gorging himself on his favourites as well!

I absolutely loved Cape May Café. We had a lovely server who constantly refilled our drinks and took away our plates, the atmosphere was beachy and friendly and I loved the all you can eat crab and fried shrimp. We dont have anywhere near home where you can get all you can eat crab legs, so that was definitely a novelty and we just had a very long, relaxing dinner. We probably stayed in our booth almost two hours as we talked, laughed, doodled and enjoyed being home. We never felt hurried or rushed to leave and really enjoyed the seafood variety of the buffet. Not all of the crab was top quality, but I honestly didnt mind. Its all you can eat, so I just tossed the legs with very little meat and moved on to the next ones.

I probably wouldnt recommend CMC if youre not keen on seafood. I know they have changed the menu fairly recently and removed some much-loved items like the ribs and it doesnt really seem like they have a lot non-seafood options. Im sure a non-seafood eater could have an enjoyable meal but Im not sure it would be worth the cost of the buffet (at least for our family).

I have such fond memories of this evening and cannot wait to return to Cape May Café! I was quite wary of it before because I had heard very mixed reviews but I am so glad we made the last minute switch. The food is not gourmet, but we really had an awesome time.



(Last photo courtesy of Google, I just love those umbrellas but forgot to take a picture!)

Would we return?


Me? Yes
DF: Yes

 

[RGirl]

Wow - the CMC dinner buffet looks great! We did breakfast there because all of our buffets simply MUST involve characters. But that actually looks and sounds like a really nice dinner spot - may have to try it one day.

 

[wilma-bride]

Cape May Café (Dinner Buffet)

We had walked through the Beach Club lobby the previous evening and Cape May Café just smelled SO good to me that I used the My Disney Experience app to snag a reservation.

I have read a lot of questions online about whether CMC and the CMC area in the Beach Club lobby smells like seafood and to my seafood-loving nose it definitely did.

Isn't it funny because that was the main thing we didn't like about staying at the Beach Club - and the main reason we have never eaten (and will never eat at) Cape May Café.

That, of course, is the difference between seafood lovers and non-seafood lovers.

Glad you enjoyed it though

 

[vettegirl]

How strong is this smell?

 

[wiigirl]

Great reviews!

 

[autumnpalm]

Wow - the CMC dinner buffet looks great! We did breakfast there because all of our buffets simply MUST involve characters. But that actually looks and sounds like a really nice dinner spot - may have to try it one day.

We've done breakfast there too and loved the breakfast buffet.

Isn't it funny because that was the main thing we didn't like about staying at the Beach Club - and the main reason we have never eaten (and will never eat at) Cape May Café.

That, of course, is the difference between seafood lovers and non-seafood lovers.

Glad you enjoyed it though

I can see how it would be off-putting for those that don't enjoy seafood. I'm really glad we ate at Cape May before my DM joined us because she is definitely not a seafood person!

How strong is this smell?

From the lobby itself I didn't notice anything, but when you walk by the restaurant in that winding hall toward the Yacht Club/Stormalong bay, you can definitely smell a seafood buffet. I would compare it to kind of a Red Lobster smell?

Great reviews!

Thanks Wiigirl!!

 

[Hollymom1229]

Thanks for the reviews, really enjoying them so far. And no guilt about the 3 plates of crab, mac and cheese, and fried shrimp. When we went to CMC last trip I dutifully had my sampler plate and then did the same thing as you. I mean seriously those are perfect vacation foods!

 

[amandamorgan65]

Thanks so much for the Cape May review with pics! Ds insisted we do the "buffet with all you can eat crab legs", but I was hesitant because of previous reviews!

 

[Disneyhayes]

I love Cape May! I wanted to go back during our trip in november but we really want to try new ADRs instead of eating at the same places.

 

[autumnpalm]

Thanks for the reviews, really enjoying them so far. And no guilt about the 3 plates of crab, mac and cheese, and fried shrimp. When we went to CMC last trip I dutifully had my sampler plate and then did the same thing as you. I mean seriously those are perfect vacation foods!

They really are! And I'm glad I'm not the only one!

Thanks so much for the Cape May review with pics! Ds insisted we do the "buffet with all you can eat crab legs", but I was hesitant because of previous reviews!

I was pretty hesitant as well but I think as long as you go in expecting comfort food with a lot of hits (and a few misses) you'll be just fine!

I love Cape May! I wanted to go back during our trip in november but we really want to try new ADRs instead of eating at the same places.

We tried to do the same thing this trip! It's tricky to balance old favourites with new restaurants but we ended up LOVING a lot of the new places we tried this trip.

 

[autumnpalm]

San Angel Inn



On our next Disney day, we ended up skipping breakfast again. I got a strawberry smoothie from the KRNR Rock Station Food Truck at Disney's Hollywood Studies but I'll review that in an upcoming snack review! We spent the morning in DHS and then took the boat over the Epcot for lunch at the San Angel Inn.

I have always wanted to eat at SAI. I remember first seeing the restaurant when I was about thirteen years old and thinking it looked like the most beautiful restaurant in the world. I was captivated by the fact that it was indoors but it seemed like eating under the Mexican sky. However, nobody in my family liked Mexican food so we never ended up eating there.

I finally got the okay to make an ADR for this trip and it was one of the first ones that I made! I was glad to see that reviews seemed to have improved over the past year or so and it looked like a lot of DISers were having good experiences.



When we checked in, I asked for a table by the water and fortunately they had one available! I'm sure everyone checking in has the same request so it was a nice surprise that they were able to accommodate it. It never hurts to ask!

We were started with a hot basket of freshly made tortilla chips. These were served with two salsas, a hot and a mild salsa. I am pretty sensitive to spicy food and did not find either salsa to be particularly spicy. The chips were very fresh and crunchy and they were nice to snack on while we decided on our orders.



We decided to start with an appetizer to share. DF told me to pick anything and I ended up selecting the Tostados de Tinga - Fried corn tortillas topped with black beans, lettuce, onions, advocado, tomato marinated chicken, sour cream, and fresh cheese $10.50.

This came with three tostados. When they came to the table, our server knew we were splitting them so brought two extra plates and served one on each plate, leaving one on the original platter. Unfortunately, this happened so quickly that I was not able to get a photo of all three tostados together, but here is my tostado (DF had two).



These had a really good amount of chicken on them and were so flavourful! I loved the combination of the veggies, cheese, beans and meat. The fried tortillas were so crunchy and the appetizer was very substantial. I could see this making a great small meal! We were both so happy with this appetizer and it was a wonderful start to the meal.

For my entree I didn't even need to look at the menu, I knew from reading previous reviews that I would be ordering the Pollo A Las Rajas - grilled chicken breast served over red peppers, onion strips, cream sauce, and fresh cheese $19.50.



Oh. My. Goodness. This might be the very best thing I ate all trip. The chicken tasted SO freshly grilled and it was so juicy. The veggies underneath were delicious and were perfectly sauteed but still retained a nice crispness. The sauce was very creamy and rich, but was balanced out nicely by the crunch of the veggies. It was cheesy with a hint of sweetness. The rice was great mixed in with the extra sauce and the portion size was perfect. I tried so hard to finish every bit but despite how much I loved this dish, I just couldn't manage it! It was one of those meals where I so wanted to finish every bite on the plate and knew I would be wishing for those last few bites once I got home!

DF decided to go with the Chef's Recommendation which was Loma de Pue en Pipián - Pork tenderloin served over roasted vegetables and pipián - pumpkin, chiles and almond sauce $22.



This, unfortunately, was not a hit with him. DF likes very spicy, flavourful foods and he said this was extremely plain. The pork was well-cooked and tender, so he did appreciate the quality of the meat, but was really disappointed in the overall lack of flavour. In his words, "I'd rather have had Taco Bell." I think that about sums it up as to how disappointed he was in this dish, especially after the wonderful appetizer. He did say that he would return to the restaurant but would never order this dish again.

We tried a bite of each other's and he also loved my dish as much as I did. I agreed that his was quite plain, I'm not sure if perhaps they forgot a sauce or something? It was quite strangely plain and flavourless.

We were both very full at this point and decided to skip dessert, but our sweet server brought us out a dish of caramel ice cream with a candle. It was a very nice gesture and we both tried the ice cream, it was very good! Unfortunately both of us forgot to take a picture of the ice cream.

Overall, this meal lived up to every one of my expectations and I absolutely loved everything from the food to the atmosphere to the service. Unfortunately, DF didn't love his entree but everything else was wonderful.

Would we return?

Me: YES
DF: Yes

 

[jerseytinkerbell]

Thanks for posting the great Cape May Cafe review! I had never really considered eating there, but your review has me really wanting to try it. Crab legs, mussels and clams? Count me in! Unfortunately, my DH isn't much of a seafood fan, so I fear it would be wasted on him, but I'm adding that to my list of places to eat on a future trip.

All your reviews and pics are fantastic! Can't wait to read more!

 

[ThinkTink09]

Love your CMC review and pics! San Angel looks really good too. We ate there a few years ago and didn't love it, but now I want to try it again. Thanks for the reviews

 

[MrsB1228]

Great Cape May and San Angel Inn reviews! We've never eaten at CM as we're not big seafood fans (I enjoy it but the rest of the family, not so much) and we've always enjoyed our meals at SAI. Thanks for sharing your experience and lovely photos!